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☆ India's ICICI Bank posts 30% jump in Q4 net profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, April 22 (Reuters) - India's ICICI Bank (ICBK.NS) on Saturday reported a 30% increase in fourth-quarter net profit helped by improved net interest income and growth in loans. Standalone net profit rose to a record 91.22 billion Indian rupees ($1.11 billion) from 70.19 billion a year earlier. Net interest income, the difference between interest earned and paid, rose 40.2% to 176.67 billion rupees while the private lender's net interest margin widened to 4.90% from 4%. "At this point in time, we are very comfortable with our deposit growth," Executive Director Sandeep Batra told reporters on a conference call. "I do not think deposit growth will be a constraint to our ability to grow our assets in a risk-calibrated manner."

☆ European shares edge higher ahead of more Wall St earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Shubham Batra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Rate-sensitive technology shares <.SX8P> fell 1.2% tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, while banking shares (.SX7P), which were the biggest gainers on Friday, fell 0.3% . Investors will closely monitor a slew of earnings reports led by Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N) due later in the week. Last week, Citigroup Inc (C.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) beat earnings expectations, benefiting from rising interest rates and easing fears of stress in the banking system. "Cautious optimism is the Monday motivation mantra, as stronger U.S. corporate news and signs of consumer resilience help to mask ongoing worries about the knock-on effect of higher interest rates," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets, Hargreaves Lansdown. Shares of Rovio (ROVIO.HE) rose 17.8% after Japan's Sega (6460.T) agreed to launch a 706 million euro offer for Angry Birds maker.

Bank shares rebounded sharply on Monday after First Citizens BancShares Inc (FCNCA.O) said it would acquire the deposits and loans of Silicon Valley Bank, whose collapse earlier this month sparked a selloff in the sector. "The fact that we've got answers on Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and Credit Suisse means that we have more answers than questions," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B Riley Wealth in Boston. Lawmakers are expected to put U.S. bank regulators on the defensive over the unexpected failures of regional lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank when they testify before Congress later on Tuesday. The S&P 500 and Dow rose on Monday after the SVB deal was announced, while the Nasdaq Composite closed lower, led by a decline in technology-related stocks. The S&P index recorded five new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 13 new highs and 40 new lows.

SummarySummary Companies Futures down: Dow 0.10%, S&P 0.17%, Nasdaq 0.22%March 28 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures slipped on Tuesday as Treasury yields rose amid easing worries about a banking crisis following First Citizens BancShares' U.S. regulator-backed deal for failed Silicon Valley Bank. Shares of First Citizens BancShares Inc (FCNCA.O) fell 1% in premarket trading after surging more than 50% on Monday following its deal to acquire the deposits and loans of failed Silicon Valley Bank. Regional banks also rose, led by First Republic Bank's (FRC.N) 2.2% gain after a 12% rally on Monday. Later in the day, Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr will testify before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs on "bank oversight" in the first of several hearings on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. ET, Dow e-minis were down 31 points, or 0.1%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 6.75 points, or 0.17%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 27.75 points, or 0.22%.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell sought to reassure investors about the soundness of the banking system, saying that the management of Silicon Valley Bank "failed badly," but that the bank's collapse did not indicate wider weaknesses in the banking system. "These are not weaknesses that are running broadly through the banking system," he said, adding that the takeover of Credit Suisse seemed to have been a positive outcome. The Federal Open Market Committee policy statement also said the U.S. banking system is "sound and resilient." The much-anticipated rate cut by the Fed, which had delivered eight previous rate hikes in the past year, sought to balance the risk of rampant inflation with the threat of instability in the banking system. The banking sector has been in turmoil after California regulators on March 10 closed Silicon Valley Bank in the largest U.S. bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis.

ET (1800 GMT), with investors keenly awaiting Chair Jerome Powell's conference at 2:30 p.m. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidHowever, a scramble by troubled regional U.S. lender First Republic Bank (FRC.N) to secure a capital infusion has kept alive some worries about the banking sector. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.13-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.44-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded one new 52-week high and six new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 27 new highs and 75 new lows.

The latest move to restore calm to restive regional bank stocks came as Pacific Western Bank (PACW.O), one of the regional lenders caught up in the market volatility, said it had raised $1.4 billion from investment firm Atlas SP Partners. While that deal brought some respite to battered banking stocks, First Republic (FRC.N) remains firmly in the spotlight. For now, the rescue of Credit Suisse appears to have calmed the worst fears of systemic contagion, boosting shares of European banks (.SX7P) and U.S. lenders (.SPXBK). Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics'HEAD IN SAND'The wipeout of Credit Suisse's Additional Tier-1 (AT1) bondholders has sent shockwaves through bank debt markets. Seeking to boost confidence among investors rattled by its $3 billion Credit Suisse rescue, UBS said on Wednesday it would buy back 2.75 billion euros ($2.96 billion) worth of debt it issued less than week ago.

March 22 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities are set to explore ways to bolster financial stability, along with steps to tackle the problems facing First Republic Bank, as central banks assess whether turmoil in banking makes interest rate rises less pressing. SVB's collapse kicked off a tumultuous 10 days for banks which led to the 3 billion Swiss franc ($3.2 billion) Swiss engineered takeover of Credit Suisse by rival UBS (UBSG.S). While that deal brought some respite to battered banking stocks, U.S. lender First Republic (FRC.N) remains firmly in the spotlight. Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics'HEAD IN SAND'The wipeout of Credit Suisse's Additional Tier-1 (AT1) bondholders has sent shockwaves through bank debt markets. For now, the Swiss bank rescue appears to have assuaged the worst fears of systemic contagion, boosting shares of European banks (.SX7P) and U.S. lenders (.SPXBK).

The U.S. central bank's two-day policy meeting will end at 2 p.m. ET to gauge the central bank’s rate-hike trajectory. U.S. Treasury yields rose, with the yield on the two-year note, which best reflects interest rate expectations, last at 4.212%. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.56-to-1 ratio on the NYSE a 1.75-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded no new 52-week high and four new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 13 new highs and 34 new lows.

But an unexpected jump in UK inflation last month led investors to bet heavily that the Bank of England will raise interest rates by at least another 25 bps on Thursday. SVB's collapse kicked off a tumultuous 10 days for banks which led to the 3 billion Swiss franc ($3.2 billion) Swiss regulator-engineered takeover of Credit Suisse by rival UBS. While that deal brought some respite to battered banking stocks, U.S. lender First Republic remains firmly in the spotlight. First Republic (FRC.N) shares fell 9% in extended trade on Tuesday, having surged as much as 60% at one stage. For now, the Swiss bank rescue appears to have assuaged the worst fears of systemic contagion, boosting shares of European banks (.SX7P) and U.S. lenders (.SPXBK).

The U.S. central bank's two-day policy meeting will end at 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT), with investors keenly awaiting Fed Chair Jerome Powell's conference at 2:30 p.m. ET to gauge the central bank’s rate-hike trajectory. While the central bank is likely to continue its hiking cycle with a 0.25% move, we think the guidance for future meetings will be considerably more open," said Gabriele Foà, co-portfolio manager at Algebris Investments. ET, Dow e-minis were up 24 points, or 0.07%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 1.5 points, or 0.04%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 12.75 points, or 0.1%.

The Fed's relentless rate hikes to rein in inflation have been partly blamed for sparking the biggest meltdown in the banking sector since the 2008 financial crisis. For now, Credit Suisse's rescue appears to have assuaged the worst fears of systemic contagion, boosting shares of European banks (.SX7P) and U.S. regional lenders. The S&P 500 banks index (.SPXBK) rallied 3.6%, its largest one-day gain since November. Still, Australia's prudential regulator has started asking the country's banks to declare their exposure to startups and crypto-focused ventures following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, according to the Australian Financial Review. Market cap of US regional banks included in the S&P 500 regional bank indexDeputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said a review of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and rival Signature Bank was in order.

☆ First Republic seeks new ways to escape unrealized losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 21 (Reuters) - First Republic Bank's (FRC.N) efforts to secure a capital infusion continued without success on Tuesday, as the troubled regional lender started to plan for the possibility it may need to downsize or get a government backstop. Bloomberg News reported U.S. officials and Wall Street leaders seeking to aid First Republic were exploring the possibility of government backing that would help overcome the issue of the bank's unrealized losses. JPMorgan is advising First Republic on its options to raise capital from investors, a source familiar with the situation previously said. "There are a number of factors lifting the (financial) stocks, including the comments by Yellen. "We believe First Republic remains in crisis," said Jason Benowitz, senior portfolio manager at CI Roosevelt.

☆ Wall St ends sharply lower as Powell warns inflation fight continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The three major U.S. stock indexes, which were mostly directionless prior to the Fed announcement, jumped higher then deflated as investors digested the accompanying statement and Chair Jerome Powell's subsequent Q&A session. Worries persist that the Fed's aggressive battle against inflation could tip the economy into recession, and recent turmoil in the banking sector, sparked by failures of SVB Financial Group (SIVB.O) and Signature Bank (SBNY.O), have exacerbated those fears. All 11 major sectors of the S&P 500 ended the session deep in negative territory, with real estate (.SPLRCR) suffering the steepest percentage drop, its largest one-day plunge since Sept. 13. The S&P 500 posted six new 52-week highs and 13 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 44 new highs and 179 new lows. Volume on U.S. exchanges was 11.84 billion shares, compared with the 12.70 billion average over the last 20 trading days.

☆ First Republic slumps after report of potential government backing in deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 21 (Reuters) - Shares of First Republic Bank (FRC.N) tumbled 14% in extended trade on Tuesday following a report that a potential deal for the troubled bank could rely on government backing to encourage buyers. Potential government backing in a deal to save First National could involve conditions at the expense of the bank's shareholders, said Dennis Dick, a trader at Triple D Trading in Ontario, Canada. While a sale of the entire bank remains possible, First Republic is currently focused on raising capital, the third source said. First Republic's shares had surged as much as 60% on Tuesday before closing up 30%, but even so First Republic's stock has lost over 80% in value in the past two weeks. JPMorgan is advising First Republic on its options to raise capital from investors, a source familiar with the situation previously said.

☆ Wall Street ends green on bank bounce as Fed takes focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Still, despite its recent resurgence, the S&P Banks index has lost more than 18% of its value just this month. "The Fed will raise interest rates by 25 basis points and the market won't care," Pursche added. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 20, 2023. The S&P 500 posted 5 new 52-week highs and 2 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 48 new highs and 114 new lows. Volume on U.S. exchanges was 11.75 billion shares, compared with the 12.63 billion average over the last 20 trading days.

March 20 (Reuters) - Shares of U.S. lender First Republic tumbled nearly 50% on Monday on fears it will need a second rescue to stay afloat, bucking a broader rally in bank shares driven by UBS Group's state-backed takeover of Credit Suisse. "First and foremost, the Credit Suisse, UBS merger certainly takes a lot of stress out of the global banking system." The 3 billion Swiss franc ($3.2 billion) deal for the troubled Swiss bank - which was once worth more than $90 billion - was engineered by Swiss regulators and announced on Sunday. European bank shares (.SX7P) rebounded from recent losses, while on Wall Street the S&P 500 banks (.SPXBK) index recovered 0.6%. [1/2] Buildings of Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse are seen on the Paradeplatz in Zurich, Switzerland March 20, 2023.

☆ Wall St ends higher as bank contagion fears ease, Fed eyed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

UBS late on Sunday agreed to buy rival Credit Suisse (CSGN.S), for $3.23 billion, in a merger engineered by Swiss authorities to avoid more turmoil in the banking group. The S&P Banking index (.SPXBK) and the KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX) were higher following sharp losses last week. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank (SBNY.O) shook markets earlier this month. "Where it is another bank coming in, that is the kind of headline that helps underpin confidence in the banking system," Krosby said. The Credit Suisse takeover helped the market, but U.S.-listed shares of Credit Suisse were down sharply on Monday, while UBS Group shares were up.

Traders have raised bets of the Fed likely hitting a pause on rate hikes on Wednesday to ensure financial stability as bank sector troubles triggered by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank (SBNY.O) threaten to snowball. Over the weekend, UBS (UBS.N) agreed to buy rival Credit Suisse for $3.23 billion, in a merger engineered by Swiss authorities to avoid more market-shaking turmoil in global banking. U.S.-listed shares of Credit Suisse plummeted 48.5% to hit a fresh record low, while UBS reversed premarket declines to rise 7.8%. PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) jumped 21% after the bank said deposit outflows had stabilized, while New York Community Bancorp (NYCB.N) also gained 33% after the bank's unit agreed to buy deposits and loans from Signature Bank. The S&P Banking index (.SPXBK) and the KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX), which on Friday had logged their largest two-week drop since March 2020, rose 1.4% and 3.2%, respectively, in early trade.

Over the weekend, UBS (UBS.N) agreed to buy rival Credit Suisse for $3.23 billion, in a shotgun merger engineered by Swiss authorities to avoid more market-shaking turmoil in global banking. U.S.-listed shares of Credit Suisse were down 58.4% in premarket trading and set to open at a fresh record low, while those of UBS were down 3.6%, as focus shifted to the hit to some Credit Suisse bondholders from the acquisition. "Investors are still worried about the banking industry, even though UBS has agreed to take over Credit Suisse. Regional bank First Republic Bank (FRC.N) was down 19.1% after paring some declines, while peer Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) edged 0.7% lower. The S&P Banking index (.SPXBK) and the KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX) on Friday logged their largest two-week drop since March 2020.

☆ Futures fall as Credit Suisse rescue, liquidity steps fail to quell bank scare
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures down: Dow 0.99%, S&P 0.96%, Nasdaq 0.70%March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures fell on Monday as steps taken by central banks to boost liquidity and a deal to rescue Credit Suisse failed to quell investor worries of severe turbulence in the banking sector. U.S.-listed shares of Credit Suisse and UBS were down 59.6% and 12.5%, respectively, in premarket trading. Separately, top central banks, faced with the risk of a fast-moving loss of confidence in the financial system's stability, moved on Sunday to bolster the flow of cash around the world. The S&P Banking index (.SPXBK) and the KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX) on Friday logged their largest two-week drop since March 2020. Treasury yields edged lower on Monday, with investors flocking to bonds on worries over the interest-rate path the U.S. central bank may take.

Markets have scaled back expectations for an aggressive 50-basis-point interest rate hike from the Fed at its March 22 meeting, following the turmoil in the banking sector triggered by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank (SBNY.O) earlier this month. Over the weekend, UBS (UBS.N) agreed to buy rival Credit Suisse for $3.23 billion, in a merger engineered by Swiss authorities to avoid more market-shaking turmoil in global banking. While the deal helped calm jitters about the banking sector, U.S.-listed shares of Credit Suisse plummeted 54.9% to hit a fresh record low. PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) jumped 11.5% after the bank said deposit outflows had stabilized, while New York Community Bancorp (NYCB.N) gained 32.1% after the bank's unit agreed to buy deposits and loans from Signature Bank. The S&P Banking index (.SPXBK) and the KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX), which on Friday had logged their sharpest two-week drop since March 2020, rose 1.4% and 2.6%, respectively.

☆ Wall Street ends sharply lower on bank contagion fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

For the week, while the benchmark S&P 500 ended higher than last Friday's close, the Nasdaq and the Dow posted weekly declines. "(The sell-off) is a bit of an overreaction," said Oliver Pursche, senior vice president at Wealthspire Advisors in New York. Those concerns have spread to Europe, as Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) shares stumbled over liquidity worries, prompting policymakers to scramble to reassure markets. First Republic Bank (FRC.N) plunged after the bank announced it was suspending its dividend, reversing Thursday's surge that was sparked by an unprecedented $30 billion rescue package from large financial institutions. First Republic's peers, PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) and Western Alliance (WAL.N), both ended the session sharply lower.

The boost was shortlived and fears of a banking crisis gripped the market on Friday, with shares of First Republic Bank (FRC.N), which also suspended its dividend payout, dropping 24.5%. The KBW regional banking index (.KRX) and the S&P 500 banks index (.SPXBK) fell over 9% each in the week. Investors are now looking ahead to the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, due next week, to gauge how it will tame inflation. Money market participants now see a 67% chance of the Fed raising rates by 25 basis points on March 22. . Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 5.46-to-1 ratio on the NYSE by a 3.56-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

Shares of First Republic fell 20.7% in early trading after the bank suspended its dividend payout. The KBW regional banking index (.KRX) and the S&P 500 banks index (.SPXBK) fell over 2% each. "Deposits have fled from regional banks like First Republic into the big banks who are now bailing them out by putting the deposits back in. "Until you stop the deposit flight from regional banks into the systemically important banks that are too big to fail, it doesn't matter how much money you pour into the bucket." The S&P index recorded two new 52-week highs and four new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded seven new highs and 75 new lows.

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